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Biomedical subjects

E Ikkala

Publications and source records attributed to E Ikkala.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Clinical significance of hepatitis C antibodies in blood donors.

The clinical significance of hepatitis C antibodies (anti-HCV) in a healthy population was studied by liver function tests and liver biopsies. The patient population consisted of 195 (96.1%) of the 203 blood donors found to be either anti-HCV positive or indeterminate by a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) during the first year of anti-HCV screening of 307,606 donors in Finland using a first generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in 67 donors reacting positively and in 128 reacting indeterminately by a second generation RIBA (RIBA-4) were monitored to evaluate the prevalence of liver damage. Serum N-terminal type III procollagen (PIIINP) concentrations were measured in all donors who fulfilled our criterion for possible hepatitis C (ALT values over two times the normal upper limit on two occasions or over five times the normal upper limit on one occasion) and in 23 randomly selected RIBA-4 positive donors without ALT abnormalities (control group). Two (1.6%) of the RIBA-4 indeterminate donors had ALT values compatible with possible hepatitis C (negative by polymerase chain reaction) whereas there were 25 (37.3%) such individuals among the RIBA-4 positive donors (P < 0.0005). Twenty (80%) of the latter 25 RIBA-4 positive donors with possible hepatitis C consented to liver biopsy. Of these 20 donors, 11 (55.0%) were found to have chronic persistent hepatitis, four (20.0%) mild, three (15.0%) moderate, and two (10.0%) severe chronic active hepatitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Familial erythrocytosis genetically linked to erythropoietin receptor gene.

Familial erythrocytosis is heterogeneous with diverse causes. Using a highly informative, simple sequence repeat polymorphism in the 5' region of the erythropoietin receptor gene (EPOR), we did linkage analysis in a large family whose clinical and genealogical features were known. There were no recombinations between the disease phenotype and the polymorphism, the logarithm of odds score for linkage at zero recombination being 6.37. This highly significant linkage indicates that a mutation in EPOR is most probably responsible for the disease phenotype in this family.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Autosomal dominant erythrocytosis caused by increased sensitivity to erythropoietin.

We describe here a family with autosomal dominant erythrocytosis. In in vitro cultures, performed using the methyl cellulose assay, the number of erythroid colonies was normal or marginally increased when a standard concentration of erythropoietin (Epo) was used, but at lower Epo concentrations, the investigated persons formed more colonies than the controls. The difference was generally greater the lower the Epo concentration became. Some erythroid colony growth was seen even in the absence of any added Epo (apart from the minute concentration found in fetal calf serum), a phenomenon not seen in the controls. This finding indicates that the erythrocytosis in this family is caused by hypersensitivity of erythroid progenitors to Epo. The serum Epo concentration was low or low normal in all of the investigated family members, which is in good accordance with hypersensitivity to Epo. The erythrocytosis has not had any obvious effect on the health or life-span of the affected individuals. Many of them have reached an advanced age, and one of the affected family members has won several Olympic gold medals and world championships in endurance sports.

Erythropoiesis↗
PubMed1991

Low prevalence of antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus in Finnish haemophiliacs.

National yearly surveys were carried out between 1985 and 1989 to determine the prevalence of antibodies for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Finnish patients with bleeding disorders. From 192 out of the 214 haemophiliacs (90%) tested, 2 patients were positive for anti-HIV. No seropositivities were found after 1985. Fourteen out of 21 patients (67%) with type III von Willebrand's disease, and 7 out of 8 patients (88%) with factor XIII deficiency were tested with negative results. The low prevalence of anti-HIV (0.94%; 2/213 tested), is mainly due to the self-sufficiency for clotting factors, the low prevalence of HIV in the population, and the use of cryoprecipitate during the critical period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Transmission of hepatitis C virus to sexual partners of seropositive patients with bleeding disorders: a rare event.

Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was studied in 30 partners to anti-HCV positive multitransfused patients with a bleeding disorder. Anti-HCV ELISA C-100 was used as a screening test. Positive results were confirmed with the first generation RIBA test. Indeterminate samples were tested also with the second generation RIBA to verify the positivity. The time of sexual exposure added up was at least 95 years. 29 partners were anti-HCV seronegative. Only 1 partner was anti-HCV indeterminate. Thus sexual transmission of HCV was a rare event.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Dietary intervention as adjuvant therapy in breast cancer patients--a feasibility study.

To evaluate the feasibility of using a low-fat diet (i.e. 20-25% of energy (E%) as fat) as a component of adjuvant therapy for breast cancer patients, 240 females aged 50-65 years and operated for a stage I-II breast cancer were entered into a randomized study. The intervention group (n = 121) was to reduce dietary fat intake to 20-25 E% and to increase the intake of carbohydrates. Dietary counselling complemented other adjuvant treatments and the patients were followed for two years. No dietary advice was given to patients in the control group (n = 119). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of base-line nutrient intake except for higher energy intake in the control group (p less than 0.05). Only 52% of the patients in the intervention group followed through with the dietary regimen for two years, and 89% of the patients in the control group had a two-year follow-up. Energy intake decreased in both groups after two years, and the difference between the two groups remained (p less than 0.01). Total fat intake decreased from 36.2 E% to 22.2 E% after one year in the intervention group and remained at that level after two years. Total fat intake in the control group decreased by 3.6 E% after two years. The low compliance raises concern about the protocol design. The study nevertheless indicates that a long-term reduction of dietary fat intake can be implemented in breast cancer patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Haemophiliacs with factor VIII inhibitors in Finland: prevalence, incidence and outcome.

Twenty-five of the 139 Finnish patients (18.0%) with severe haemophilia A alive in 1960 or born later have or have had an inhibitor against factor VIII. 19 of the 110 patients alive have an inhibitor and the current prevalence is 17.3%. The incidence of new inhibitors was 10.3 per thousand patient years for the observation period starting from 1960, median 16 years. The age dependent cumulative risk of developing an inhibitor was 22% at the age of 10. There have been no deaths from bleeding since 1976, which has resulted in a marked decrease in mortality. The annual death rate of patients with inhibitors was 5.8 per thousand years of life in 1980-89 compared to 41.7 in the previous decade. The recent progress in the modalities for treatment of bleedings has markedly improved the outcome of patients with factor VIII inhibitors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Dietary intervention in breast cancer patients: effects on dietary habits and nutrient intake.

Effects of dietary intervention on dietary habits and nutrient levels were studied in 240 women aged 50-65 years who had been operated for a stage I-II breast cancer. Following surgery the women who had participated in a dietary history interview were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group (n = 121) received individual dietary counselling aimed at reducing dietary fat intake to 20-25 per cent of energy (E per cent) while increasing intake of carbohydrates. No dietary advice was given to women assigned to the control group (n = 119). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of base-line nutrient intake except for a higher energy intake in the control group (P less than 0.05). Sixty-three (52 per cent) of the women in the intervention group and 106 (89 per cent) of the women in the control group completed the 2-year follow-up. Energy intake decreased after 2 years in both groups and the difference between the groups remained (P less than 0.01). Total fat intake decreased in the intervention group by 12.9-23.3 E per cent after 2 years and by 3.1 E per cent in the control group. The intake of carbohydrates increased from 46.2 to 57.2 E per cent in the intervention group and from 46.2 to 48.9 E per cent in the control group. The study shows that dietary habits and intake of nutrients can be altered through dietary counselling to breast cancer patients, and that such changes are long lasting.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Spontaneous erythroid colony formation in the differential diagnosis of erythrocytosis.

Erythroid colony formation in vitro was studied in 80 patients with erythrocytosis. 43 of the patients had polycythaemia vera (PV), 18 patients had secondary erythrocytosis, 6 had normal red cell mass, and 13 patients were regarded as unclassified. Spontaneous erythroid colony formation, in the absence of exogenous erythropoietin in the cultures, was discovered in all patients with PV, whereas no patient with secondary erythrocytosis or with normal red cell mass showed this phenomenon. 8 of the 13 patients with unclassified erythrocytosis spontaneously formed erythroid colonies. 7 patient with unclassified erythrocytosis have been followed for 5 yr. 3 of the 4 patients with spontaneous colony growth but none of the 3 without it can now be classified as PV. Thus, spontaneous erythroid colony formation indicates PV even in early and atypical cases. Therefore, the culture of erythroid progenitors is very useful in the differential diagnosis of problematic cases with erythrocytosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Splenic dynamics of indium-111 labeled platelets in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Splenic dynamics of 111In-labeled platelets and platelet-associated IgG in 33 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were studied. Two half-lives were calculated for the biexponential splenic time-activity curve after i.v. injection of 111In-labeled platelets. There was no difference in the mean half-life of the rapid component of the splenic curve (ST1) when patients with negative or slightly positive platelet suspension immunofluorescence test (PSIFT) were compared to those with strongly positive PSIFT (3.0 +/- 0.7 min vs. 3.6 +/- 0.4, p greater than 0.05). Mean half-life of the slow component of the splenic curve (ST2) was found to be longer in patients with a strongly positive than a negative or weakly positive PSIFT (26 +/- 5 min vs. 13.2 +/- 1.0 min, p less than 0.01). It seems that determination of the two components of the splenic time-activity curve provides a useful method for studying platelet kinetics in ITP.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Prevalence of hemochromatosis in Finland.

Transferrin saturation was determined in 11,431 men and 10,639 women aged 15 or more drawn from different areas in southern and central Finland and attending a multiphasic health screening examination in 1967-1972. All the 163 men and 66 women with transferrin saturation greater than or equal to 70% at the initial examination and still alive at the end of 1983 were invited to a re-examination. Of the invited persons, 76% attended the re-examination. Transferrin saturation and serum ferritin were the initial screening methods in the re-examination. All persons with suspected hemochromatosis were clinically examined and a laparoscopy was performed. Four men and four women were found with unequivocal hemochromatosis. Only one of these cases was diagnosed beforehand. According to these data the prevalence of hemochromatosis in Finland is about 50/100,000.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Megakaryocytic colony formation in polycythaemia vera and secondary erythrocytosis.

Megakaryocytic colony formation by progenitor cells of 18 patients with polycythaemia vera, seven with secondary erythrocytosis and four with erythrocytosis of unexplained origin was studied in vitro by the methyl cellulose culture assay. Fourteen of the 18 patients with polycythaemia vera showed spontaneous megakaryocytic colony formation, i.e. colony growth with normal human plasma as the only source of colony stimulation. None of the patients with secondary erythrocytosis or erythrocytosis of unknown origin or of the normal controls grew colonies in the presence of normal human plasma only. When the plasma of a patient with aplastic anaemia was used instead of normal human plasma and phytohaemagglutinin stimulated leucocyte conditioned medium (PHA-LCM) was added to the culture medium, two of the patients with polycythaemia vera and one with secondary erythrocytosis formed slightly increased numbers of megakaryocytic colonies, while the rest of the patients showed normal colony formation. All of the patients with polycythaemia vera but none of those with secondary erythrocytosis or erythrocytosis of unknown origin showed spontaneous erythroid colony growth. The present study shows that most patients with polycythaemia vera form spontaneous megakaryocytic colonies in vitro. This phenomenon has recently also been demonstrated in essential thrombocythaemia and it is apparently analogous to spontaneous erythroid colony growth seen in all myeloproliferative disorders.

Adult↗